Method to reduce the transmission latency in GSM/EDGE delay-sensitive applications

Abstract

Real-time media or multimedia services in 3GPP GSM / EDGE-compliant mobile radio networks call for reducing the actual latency of transmissions. Resources are assigned by the network to set up or reconfigure a TBF associated to the uplink / downlink transmission of radio blocks from / to an MS. A 5-bit 'Coding' field is configured in the header of the involved RLC / MAC messages to select the transmitting / receiving window size. An additional signalling bit, also called scaling bit, is asserted / negated according to two opportunities offered by the new MAC protocol to properly select the window size. Thanks to the introduction of the scaling bit a subdivision of the time windows for type of services is made possible. Non real-time services, e.g. file transfer, avail of standard window sizes for MSswith multistat capability, as reported in 3GPP TS 44.060, V7.3.0 (2006-01 ), Release 7, subclause 9.1.9, for EGPRS TBFs. Delay-sensitive services, e.g. media or multimedia real-time transmissions, avail of new window sizes with scaled down values remapped to start from 1 to (maximum) 64 RLC / MAC blocks. The scaling bit is asserted or negated by BSC accordingly. Both peer entities comprised in a TBF are receiving the RLC / MAC messages with the proper setting of the scaling bit and the 5-bit coding IF; these entities decode the scaling bit and behave accordingly. The behaviour consists of either assuming the standard window size or scaled window size addressed by the same predetermined 5-bit 'coding' information element.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to the field of mobile radio networks conforming to enhanced data transmission and integrated with multimedia IP services, and more precisely to a method of reducing transmission latency in GSM / EDGE delay-sensitive applications (referenced acronyms are at the end of the specification listed). Background technique [0002] figure 1 Shows the GSM / EDGE Network Functions Architecture according to 3GPP TS 44.060. The network shown includes the following functional blocks: MS (TE and MT), BSS (including BTS and BSC), SGSN, GGSN, EIR, MSC / VLR, HLR, SMS-GMSC, SMS-IWMSC and SM-SC. Within the MS, a first functional block TE is connected to a second functional block MT by a connection indicated by reference R which typically supports a standard serial interface. The following interfaces can be predicted: Um, A-bis, A, Gb, Gi, Gp, Gn, Gp, Gf, Gs, Gr, Gd, D, E, C, and their connections between the relevant blocks are shown in Fig. ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

At this point, all windowed data is delivered to the upper layer, and the delay is 20 milliseconds × 64 = 1280 milliseconds, which affects all windowed data (packet and voice), which is obviously unacceptable for real-time media or multimedia services

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